Zealous
by obsessedwithstabler
Summary: Is there anything more pitiful in nature than a man with a cold?


Okay, it is almost four in the morning, and I've been stuck on a comment that delirious dancer made in her review, "Is there anything more pitiful in nature than a man with a cold?" And I thought to myself, "No, there isn't." Thanks for this idea goes to her. So for all you Mike lovers out there, here's a longer, even fluffier, Mike getting coddled version of Vicks Vapor Rub. Don't ask why I'm doing this, cause I dunno. Maybe it's just cause I like torturing Mike. Enjoy, everyone!

Thanks go out to Delirious Dancer, who said, "When a woman gets sick she has a cold. When a man gets sick, he has somehow managed to get a rare case of the fever producing, bone aching illness that has only been noted in albino pygmys who have accidently consumed the toenail of the red spider monkey...on a Tuesday." and "Is there anything more pitiful in nature than a man with a cold?" Genius.

Disclaimer: I don't own Mike, Carolyn, Deakins, or Vicks Vapor Rub. So nah!

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Carolyn sighed softly as her alarm clock buzzed impatiently, and she reached over, fumbling with it for a moment before she finally turned it off.

Beside her, her boyfriend rolled over and coughed in his sleep, groaning softly.

Her brow furrowed, and she pushed herself upright, then leaned over and gently touched her lips to his forehead. His skin was impossibly hot to her, and she sighed. Poor baby. He had insisted on looking out for her while she was sick, and just as she had predicted, he had caught it, too.

She tried to climb out of bed and get ready for work, but he slid an arm around her, drawing her back into him as a deep coughing fit wreaked havoc with his chest. She turned over, gently running her hand over his back. "Baby, I need to go to work. Are you going to be okay here for a little while?" she asked gently.

He forced an eye open, his head pounding and his mouth impossibly dry. He tightened his arms around her, feeling a little childish for being so clingy. But damn it, he was sick, and all he wanted to do was lay in bed and sleep curled up next to the only woman who made his sorry life meaningful.

She closed her eyes and continued to rub his back. "I'll take that as a no. I'll call in and tell them I'm not coming in." She pulled back just enough so that she could reach her cell phone. Then she called her office and told them that she wouldn't be able to come in that day. When she was done, she closed the phone and put it back, then kissed Mike's head.

"I'm going to go get something to bring that fever down," she murmured, sliding away from him.

Knowing that she wouldn't leave the apartment, he grunted and rolled onto his opposite side, willing the room to stop spinning.

She came back a few minutes later with two tablets and a glass of water. "Sit up," she urged gently.

He reluctantly pushed himself up, groaning softly as he swallowed the pills and water. Then he laid down again, and she put the glass down before climbing back into the bed. His back was to her, and she slid her arm over his waist, drawing him firmly against her chest.

"Try to sleep," she whispered, her soft breath dancing against his skin.

He shuddered and snuggled into her arms, lulled to sleep by her gentle hand as she moved it through his damp hair.

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Several hours later, his restless stirring woke her, and she gently pulled him back into her arms. "Hey..."

"S-sorry..." he mumbled, and she looked at him with concern.

His teeth were chattering and his fever was up again, but judging by the clock on the wall, it wasn't time for another dose of painkillers. A deep cough rattled his chest, and she winced. "Hang on a second, hon." She reached over and pulled a drawer out of the nightstand, finally producing a small blue bottle. She twisted the cap off, then gently moved the blankets aside.

He shivered, and she felt guilty for his chills. "I know you're cold. But this will help your coughing and breathing," she promised, dipping her fingers into the blue gel. It smelled horrible, but she noticed a change a few moments after she began rubbing it on his broad chest. He wasn't coughing as badly, and his breathing seemed a little easier, though his shivering persisted.

Once she was finished, she put the cap back on the bottle, setting it on the nightstand before she rubbed her hands on a washcloth. "Go back to sleep now, babe," she whispered as she eased herself back under the covers with him.

He turned and buried himself in her arms, his trembling slowly subsiding as she wrapped her arms around him and rubbed his back.

Two more hours passed, and Mike felt both hot and cold at the same time as Carolyn gently shook his shoulder. He coughed and groaned. "What?"

She sat down beside him, holding a bowl of soup. "I want you to try to eat something."

He opened one eye, then pulled the covers over his head. "No," came his muffled utterance.

"Mike, you need to eat something." She blew on the soup. "Even if it's just a few bites."

He continued to shake his head.

She resorted to her trump card. "Please? For me...?"

Swearing, he finally pulled the covers away, easing himself upright before he took the bowl from her. As he took a bite, she smiled in relief and leaned over, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you, hon."

He grunted, glaring at her.

When the bowl was empty, she took it and dropped two tablets into his hand, and he swallowed them with some water before collapsing back against the pillows again. When she stood up, his eyes widened. "Where you going?"

She raised an eyebrow. "To the kitchen, hon. I'll be right back." To reassure him, she kissed his forehead.

He watched as she left the room and returned a few moments later. He couldn't contain his relief as she drew the covers back and climbed into the bed beside him. Instead, he turned over and curled up in her embrace again, quiet and content for once in his life.

She watched him for a little while, her eyelids growing heavier and heavier until she could no longer keep them open, and she slept.

Mike was the one who heard the knock on the front door several hours later, and he looked at Carolyn, who was sleeping peacefully. He decided to let her sleep, slipping on a robe before he went to the door. He eased it open, surprised to see his captain standing there and holding a brown bag.

"Captain?" he asked, his voice hoarse from lack of use. "What are you doing here?"

"Angie sent you some soup," he said by way of explanation. "You should be eating." He offered Mike the bag.

Mike took it. "Thanks..."

"How do you feel?" asked Deakins, and Mike was surprised to hear fatherly concern in his voice. But before he could answer, he heard Carolyn's voice.

"Hon, what are you doing out of bed?" His heart began pounding furiously against his ribcage as Deakins leaned in curiously. Carolyn's arm slid protectively around his waist.

The older man cleared his throat awkwardly, and Mike took some pleasure in that. "I, uh, see you do have someone making sure you eat..."

_She does a hell of a lot more than that_... He nodded uncertainly. "She does."

They stood there in uncomfortable silence for several moments, and Mike was relieved when the older man finally said, "I'll just... get out of here and let you get some rest."

Mike nodded amicably. "Thanks for the visit, sir."

Deakins nodded, and a knowing smile played at his lips, reassuring Mike that everything was fine. As his captain turned to leave, Mike shut the door.

Carolyn was standing in the middle of the living room floor, her arms crossed over her chest, and he decided to play it up. Coughing miserably, he pushed his robe away and pointed to his chest. "I need some more of that rubbing stuff for my chest, Carolyn."

She frowned. "You're going to need a hell of a lot more than that if you don't get back in that bed, Logan."

He gave her a lopsided smile and hurried back into the bedroom. Okay, maybe this coddling thing wasn't so bad after all...

The End!

A/N: (big grin) And I'm also toying with a follow up for this, including the Vicks Vapor Rub again. But something tells me that it would be rated M. Anyone interested? Please review!


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